figure



July 16, 1963 P. J. EMCH FOLD-AWAY DEVICE FOR BED UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 8, 1960 INVENTOR. PAUL J. EMCH FIG. 2

ATTORNEY July 16, 1963 P. J. EMCH 3,097,369

FOLD-AWAY DEVICE FOR BED UNIT Filed June 8, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2309 IINVENTOR. PAUL J. EMCH FIG. 4

ATTORNEY Patented July 16,-1963 3,397,369 FOLD-AWAY DE'VECE FUR BED UNIT Paul J. Ernch, 201 W. Sunset Drive, R0. Box 44, Ixittman, Ohio Filed June 8, 13%, Ser. No. 34,664 3 Claims. (Ci. -136) This invention relates to a fold-away device for a bed unit, in which a bed unit is retractible within a cabinet or other hollow frame.

Heretofore, fold-away bed devices have been provided in which a bed unit was foldable from and toward a retracted position within a cabinet, for example. These, however, have generally required use of operating mechanisms which were complicated, and therefore expensive to manufacture, and they were diflicult to open and close, especially when operated by young children.

One object of the present invention is toprovide an improved fold-away bed device of the character described, which is very simple and easy to operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foldaway bed device including a bed-supporting panel which is substantially uniformly counterbalanced in all positions of opening and closing thereof, and which therefore, requires a minimum of manual effort to open and close.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved fold-away bed device which has no exposed or obtrusive parts of folding mechanisms which could cause accidental injury during opening and closing of the device.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanyin drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a fold-away bed cabinet, in retracted condition, embodying the features of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the bed cabinet, in open or extended condition.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section of the upper portion of the cabinet taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, and illustrating improved counter-balancing means.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-section, partly broken away, taken substantially at the line 44 of FIGURE 2, and particularly illustrating the improved counterbalancing means.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross-section corresponding to the lower portion of FIGURE 4, but with the bed in retracted position.

Referring to the drawings generally, there is illustrated a supporting frame in the form of a hollow cabinet ill, of wood or other suitable material, a front wall 11 of which has a rectangular opening 12 therein. Hinged at 13, toth e lower edge 11a of front wall Ill, maybe a closure panel 14 adapted to swing from a horizontally supported position, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 in which it is spaced at a suitable height above a floor on which the cabinet stands, to a closed position in which it is flush with the front wall 11, as shown in FIGURES l, 3 and 5. For supporting the panel in said horizontal position, legs 15, 15 are pivoted at the free edge of the panel to lie flat against the outer face of the same in said closed position, and to swing by gravity to the vertical supporting position best shown in FIGURE 4, when the panel is swung downwardly from said closed position.

A bed unit 17, including a conventional box spring 18 and a mattress 19 may be retained in the inner side of panel 14, as by means of a U-shaped retaining member 20 formed of upstanding boards adapted to embrace the bed unit along inner and opposite end edges of the same (see FIGURES 2 and 4). The outer side of the bracket is kept open to facilitate mounting or changing the parts of the bed unit or for making the bed. The inner portion of the U-shaped member 29 may extend inwardly of the panel hinge axis so that bottom edge portions 22 thereof will, by engaging corresponding inner portions of front wall 11, serve as positive stop means for the panel in the closed position of the same (see FIGURE 5). Angle irons 23 may be affixed on the inner face of panel 14 to reinforce the same, as well as to support the inner spring 18 substantially to the full width of the same.

The spring 18 and mattress 19 are gravitationally held on the closure panel 14 in the horizontal position of use of the same, and in all other positions up to a point closely approaching the closed position. Accordingly, to assure holding the bed unit, including the box spring, mattress and bedclothes, intact on the panel in the closed position of the same, two ends of a relatively inextensible cord or flexible element 24 are anchored at laterally spaced points on the inner bracket board 26 to form a loop, which is drawn tightly over the bed unit for yielding attachment to a single hook device 25, aflixed at the free side of the panel, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4.

Inward extension of a portion of the bed unit 17 beyond the hinge point 13 reduces the weight to be supported on the remaining portion of the panel 14 during retraction or extension of the same.

In addition, counterbalancing means is provided for reducing to a minimum the amount of manual eifort or force required to open and close the panel 14 with bed unit 17 thereon. For this purpose, a strong coil-type tension spring 28 may have one end thereof anchored to a block 29 afiixed on an end wall 30 of the cabinet, and the other end connected to an inextensible cable, cord or like flexible element 31, which is guided laterally across the top of the cabinet, through an apertured block 32 afiixed on the upper wall 33 of the cabinet adjacent the center thereof, and around a guide pulley 34 anchored to said upper wall at the other side of the cabinet, from which the element is extended to an anchoring eyelet 35 on the free edge of the panel near a corresponding end of the bed unit. The arrangement is such that the spring 28 will be under maximum tension in the fully extended position of the panel as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, and under progressively decreasing tension as the panel aproaches the fully retracted or closed position of FIGURES 1 and 3, in which the full weight of the bed unit, being inwardly of the plane of the panel, tends to hold the panel firmly closed, without the aid of spring 28. Thus, the aforesaid progressively decreasing tension of the spring 28 is substantially complemental to the progressively decreasing effective force required to be applied to the free edge of the panel to close it, so that the panel is counterbalanced at all times to the extent that it tends to retain any given position between the open and closed positions thereof;

A protective tube 36 of any suitable material, such' as metal or cardboard, may be retained between shit-able recesses in the blocks 29 and 32 to minimize or surround the spring 28, as shown in FIGURE 3. Also, a tension spring 37 may be extended between element 31 and back wall 38 to take up slack in said element when the panel 14 is closed.

Means 39 may be provided at one or both ends of cabinet 10 (see FIGURES 4 and 5) to counterbalance the strong tendency for the full weight of bed unit 17 to hold the panel 14 in the closed position of FIGURES 1 and 5. Each said means 39 may include a coil-type tension spring 40 having one end connected to a rearward extension 23a of one said angle iron 23 of panel 14, the other end being vertically slidably connected to a vertically extending element 42 of a U-shaped bracket 43 aflixed on rear wall 33. Thus, the spring 40 is untensioned in the extended or horizontal position of the panel. As the panel is raised to move the angle extension 23 downwardly in an arc, the anchoring connection of spring 40 is also moved downwardly to prevent substantial tensioning of spring 40 until the panel is almost in closed position (see chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 4).

Final closing movement of the panel will be yieldingly resisted by the tension spring 40, to prevent shock of the panel slamming shut (see chain-dotted line position in FIGURE 4). In the fully closed position of the panel, best shown in FIGURE 5, the spring 40 will be sufficiently tensioned to counterbalance the weight of the bed unit 17 strongly tending to hold the panel closed, so that only relatively slight manual effort is required to open the panel until the main tension spring 37 takes over to counterbalance the remainder of the opening movement in the manner and for the purposes described above.

The improved fold-away bed unit is adapted to be conveniently located against a wall in any room of a house. In the closed position of FIGURES 1, 3 and 5 the cabinet may serve as an attractive piece of furniture, in which event the bed unit within the cabinet will have been previously made up, ready for use (see FIGURE 5). When use of the bed is required, any person, including a small child, may by means of handle I-I urge the panel 14 downwardly, at first aided by counterbalancing spring 44), and then yieldingly restrained or counterbalanced by the progressively increasing power of spring 28 as the panel is gently urged toward the horizontal position of FIGURE 2. Upon releasing the looped retaining element 24 from hook 25 and attaching it to another hook 25a on rear wall 38, to be out of the way, the bed is ready for immediate occupancy. The entire process of preparing the bed device for occupancy may be accomplished in a matter of a few seconds. Conversely, the bed may be made up, ready for subsequent occupany, with the looped element 24 secured on hook 25, and the panel moved to closed position, all in a few seconds.

Although the invention is shown as being incorporated into an individual cabinet of plain, space-saving design, it is understood that cabinets or frames of other ornamental and functional designs may be utilized, whether as movable units or units built into a wall of a room for further space saving advantages.

Modification of the invention may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fold-away device for a bed unit, comprising: a hollow frame having a front opening therein; a vertical closure panel pivoted at the lower end thereof to said frame to be swingable about a pivotal axis from a vertical retracted position of the panel closing said opening to a horizontally extended position of the panel; stop means on said panel and frame interengageable in the retracted position of the panel; said panel having means on the inner side thereof for retaining the bed unit thereon to be inwardly of a plane of the closed panel; a first counterbalancing means including a first tension spring of sub stantial strength sufficient to urge said panel with the bed 4 unit thereon toward the retracted position of the same with progressively diminishing power approaching zero; the Weight of said bed unit disposed inwardly of said vertical plane of the retracted panel tending to retain the same retracted; said closure panel having a rigid portion thereon adapted to swing therewith in an arc of predetermined stroke generally vertically about said pivotal axis; and a second counterbalancing means including a relatively fixed, vertically extending guide part within said frame inwardly of the arcuate path of said rigid portion, and a second tension spring directly connected between said rigid portion and said guide part; the inner end of said second spring having vertically shiftable anchoring connection to said guide part, to be shiftable thereon between vertically spaced upper and lower anchoring positions of said inner end of the second spring to be horizontally opposed with respect to the upper and lower limits of said arcuate stroke of said rigid portion in which the second spring is in untensioned and tensioned conditions for the extended and retracted positions, respectively, of said panel, whereby the second spring is substantially ineffective to retard operation of said first tension spring until near the end of the panel closing movement at which the second tension spring is tensioned by movement of said rigid portion away from said guide part and thereby to minimize the impact of closing interenga-gement of said stop means emphasized by said inwardly disposed weight of the bed unit.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, said first counterbalancing means including a tension spring anchored at one end to one side of said frame in the upper portion thereof; an elongated flexible element connected at one end thereof to the other end of said spring; and guide means on said frame for shiftably guiding said element iaterally across said upper portions of the frame and to have the other end of the element connected to the panel at a point adjacent the free edge thereof radially outwardly of said pivotal axis; said first tension spring maintaining said flexible element under maximum tension when said panel is in said extended position and tending to urge the panel toward the retracted position.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2, said guide means including a fixed tubular casing enclosing said tension spring in all conditions of expansion and contraction thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 386,662 Smith July 24, 1888 390,640 Alexander et al. Oct. 9, 1888 516,290 Wilmot May 13, 1894 932,626 Maurer Aug. 31, 1909 1,400,534 Ernest Dec. 20, 1921 2,564,512 Spec'ht Aug. 14, 1951 2,669,730 Bystrom Feb. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 518,760 Italy Mar. 8, 1955 

1. A FOLD-AWAY DEVICE FOR A BED UNIT, COMPRISING: A HOLLOW FRAME HAVING A FRONT OPENING THEREIN; A VERTICAL CLOSURE PANEL PIVOTED AT THE LOWER END THEREOF TO SAID FRAME TO BE SWINGABLE ABOUT A PIVOTAL AXIS FROM A VERTICAL RETRACTED POSITION OF THE PANEL CLOSING SAID OPENING TO A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDED POSITION OF THE PANEL; STOP MEANS ON SAID PANEL AND FRAME INTERENGAGEABLE IN THE RETRACTED POSITION OF THE PANEL; SAID PANEL HAVING MEANS ON THE INNER SIDE THEREOF FOR RETAINING THE BED UNIT THEREON TO BE INWARDLY OF A PLANE OF THE CLOSED PANEL; A FIRST COUNTERBALANCING MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST TENSION SPRING OF SUBSTANTIAL STRENGTH SUFFICIENT TO URGE SAID PANEL WITH THE BED UNIT THEREON TOWARD THE RETRACTED POSITION OF THE SAME WITH PROGRESSIVELY DIMINISHING POWER APPROACHING ZERO; THE WEIGHT OF SAID BED UNIT DISPOSED INWARDLY OF SAID VERTICAL PLANE OF THE RETRACTED PANEL TENDING TO RETAIN THE SAME RETRACTED; SAID CLOSURE PANEL HAVING A RIGID PORTION THEREON ADAPTED TO SWING THEREWITH IN AN ARC OF PREDETERMINED STROKE GENERALLY VERTICALLY ABOUT SAID PIVOTAL AXIS; AND A SECOND COUNTERBALANCING MEANS INCLUDING A RELATIVELY FIXED, VERTICALLY EXTENDING GUIDE PART WITHIN SAID FRAME INWARDLY OF THE ARCUATE PATH OF SAID RIGID PORTION, AND A SECOND TENSION SPRING DIRECTLY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID RIGID PORTION AND SAID GUIDE PART; THE INNER END OF SAID SECOND SPRING HAVING VERTICALLY SHIFTABLE ANCHORING CONNECTION TO SAID GUIDE PART, TO BE SHIFTABLE THEREON BETWEEN VERTICALLY SPACED UPPER AND LOWER ANCHORING POSITIONS OF SAID INNER END OF THE SECOND SPRING TO BE HORIZONTALLY OPPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE UPPER AND LOWER LIMITS OF SAID ARCUATE STROKE OF SAID RIGID PORTION IN WHICH THE SECOND SPRING IS IN UNTENSIONED AND TENSIONED CONDITIONS FOR THE EXTENDED AND RETRACTED POSITIONS, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID PANEL, WHEREBY THE SECOND SPRING IS SUBSTANTIALLY INEFFECTIVE TO RETARD OPERATION OF SAID FIRST TENSION SPRING UNTIL NEAR THE END OF THE PANEL CLOSING MOVEMENT AT WHICH THE SECOND TENSION SPRING IS TENSIONED BY MOVEMENT OF SAID RIGID PORTION AWAY FROM SAID GUIDE PART AND THEREBY TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF CLOSING INTERENGAGEMENT OF SAID STOP MEANS EMPHASIZED BY SAID INWARDLY DISPOSED WEIGHT OF THE BED UNIT. 